Artist Interview level1productions.com DL INCOGNITO - Organic Music For A Digital World Reported by: Jwise and Josh B Over the course of the past decade, DL Incognito has been quietly making his way to the top of the Canadian hip-hop scene. A staple in the soundtracks of Level 1 films since 'Second Generation,' his rhymes and beats have become synonymous with everything that the films stand for. We take a second to catch up with DL, hot on the heels of a new album release... Interview questions by Jwise and Josh B First off, how did you get your start? At what point did you decide that you wanted to make your career and life about hip-hop? I got started back in 96-97, I was always involved with hip-hop on a street team level but I really started taking it seriously in 98-99, we saved up some money to buy an MPC and got a small basement studio together. In 1999 we started our own indy label Nine Planets Hiphop. Music's been a part of my life since a very young age; I knew that music was my career of choice. What is the background behind your stage name? DL Incognito basically stands for "delivering lyrics on the low." I used to be part of a group named 2sons with my man Loky, he gave me the name DL because I was always hiding my skills, I wasn't really into rhyming at that time, I kept it to myself. What is the Canadian hip-hop scene all about, and how do you think its different from the scene in the US or other parts of the world? The Canadian scene is very pure and very young, we're about 10 years behind the US, it's like 95-97, what I mean is that we don't really have the infrastructure that exists elsewhere. We don't have major radio playing hip-hop music, labels don't really sign urban artists, it's a struggle and because of that struggle Canadian artists adopt an independent mentality. Touring is key to succeed in Canada. Do you ski, skate, snowboard? What's your take on the relationship between action sports and hip-hop? I noticed the freestyle bmx shots in one of your new videos. I've done it all, I skated for about 5 years, skied for a few years, I've been snowboarding for about 10 years, I don't get a chance to ride as much as I'd like to but snowboarding's been one of my favorite sports for years. I think hip-hop and action sports transcend the same energy and independent spirit, it's about doing what you want to do when you want to do it, it's about being free and not being slaves to corporations. There are a lot of parallels to be drawn between your lifestyle and that of a pro skier. Much like a ski celeb, you must have to maintain a careful balance between street credibility and selling out. How do you do so? Should it be a primary concern in either world? Does commercial success naturally entail " selling out"? I don't think so, it always comes down to staying true to yourself, endorsing companies that you respect and doing it for the love of the sport not the love of money, selling out is going against what you believe in. If you'd still be doing it if you were broke than it's impossible to sell out, you can't be scared of being successful ether, you always got to be ready when opportunity knocks. What sorts of things inspire you to rhyme? Is music-making a constant process for you, or are you sparked by moments of inspiration? Life inspires me, all the ups & downs that people go through, current events, happiness, pain, everything is an inspiration. As I continue on this journey I've realized that life's a collection of experiences and my albums are captured moments in time. Speaking of inspiration, what role does your hometown of Ottawa play in your rhymes? Growing up in Ottawa taught me how to be self-reliant and independent. Doing music in Ottawa is a labor of love and an important part of keeping humble and level headed in this business. Tell me about the new album- "Organic Music for a Digital World." The title obviously is a statement about what's going on in the music industry right now… Yeah, to me it's about preserving what's pure in hip-hop but moving towards the future. This album represents the fork in the road, we're obviously moving towards a digital world but we can't forget where it all came from. There's no future without a past. I make life music that everybody can relate too. Explain the dynamic between DL Incognito and Level 1- how did you first get involved with them? Because I come from a skate background I've always had an admiration towards action sports athletes, my man Scott Hibbert introduced my music to Josh at level 1 and we've consistently kept building from there, they've put my tracks on their movies and they've helped get my music out to their fans. They also brought me down to Colorado for their DVD premiere last year, its all peace. Describe your audience. Is there a particular demographic that you target? A particular demographic that you would like to target? I'm just trying to target people that love music, I don't think I have a target market. I realized that my music is bigger then just hip-hop, I have fans that listen to rock, punk, metal, jazz, R&B, house, music is truly universal. I've always felt a connection with extreme sports because I'm a part of that culture as well. I'd definitely like to build awareness in that audience but the world is the only target. Where are you five years down the line? Ten? Who knows, probably doing production, maybe doing the score for a Level 1 film… Maybe I'll still be touring. Fashion has obviously been a big part of hip-hop, I might venture into that. Any parting words? I'd like to thank y'all for the interview! Remember to pick up the albums! Hit me at www.Myspace.com/dlincognito, www.dlincognito.com, www.nineplanetshiphop.com And to all aspiring athletes and artists… Stay true to what you do!